International Women's Day

First of all A Very Happy International Women's Day to all the Women. It is Our day. Let Us all be Empowered.


A Brief History
International Women's Day is celebrated every year on the 8th of March to celebrate the power of women and their centuries old struggle towards liberty, equality and to be considered on an equal footing with men in the society. Women are continuing to cross all the boundaries but still there are many who suffer, who does not have any alternative but to suffer just because they are women. Let us all stride towards our liberation and empowerment. Listed below is the Chronology of important events.


1909
The First Woman's day was observed on 28th February all across United States following a declaration by Socialist party of America. It was continued to be celebrated on the last sunday of February till 1913.(1)


1910
In the International Women's Conference in Copenhagen organised by The Socialist International, the establishment of 'International Woman's Day' was proposed. The proposal was accepted unanimously by the delegates of over 100 women from 17 countries with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including the right to vote for women.But no fixed date was selected.(1)


1911
Following the decision taken in Copenhagen, International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time on 19th March in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than a million women and men participated and attended rallies demanding the right to vote and to hold public office, the right to work, to vocational training and to end discrimination on the job.(1)
The importance and need for the day became more evident and emphasised, after the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City on 25th March, where more than 140 working girls lost their lives due to the poor working conditions. This event had a significant impact on labour legislations in the United States.(1)


1913
Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February(by Julian calender then used in Russia which fell on March 8 on the Gregorian calendar) as part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of the First World War I.(1)


1917
With over 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Again on the same day, the last Sunday in February,despite the oppositions, Russian women went on strike for "bread and peace". Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional government granted the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23rd Febrauary on the Julian calendar, but on 8th March on the Gregorian calendar.
From that year onward, this day was predominantly celebrated in communist and socialist countries.(1) 

1977
In the West, International Women's Day was first observed, and became a popular event, when the United Nations General Assembly invited member states to proclaim March 8th as the UN Day for women's rights and world peace.(2)

From that day onward, International Women's day is celebrated all over the world in developed and developing countries alike. It is a day to commemorate on the progress made, to call for change and to celebrate the acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women's rights.(1)


Sources:
(1) http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day